Everyone should seriously consider the fact that Lang Lang was only 18 when he played this, instead of blindly comparing him with other virtuosic pianists

For all those criticizing the performance, I'm willing to cut him some slack. He's only 18, for gosh sakes. On top of that, he plays the piece at almost top speed with maybe 1 or 2 noticeably missed notes in the entire thing. That was very impressive to me. Many of the other interpretations tend to get a little sloppy at the end due to the extreme difficulty. Lang Lang didn't have that.

As an extempore performance, Lang Lang dazzles me in this; it's lyrical, passionate, paced voluptuously. His love of the lyricism of this tour de force which he gives way to here and there, makes me like him even more, bravo Lang Lang!

There are so many intricate musical things about this performance, love it

Love his performance of very very difficult thing

I love seeing how little he's changed since 18.

I don't think he's trying to be showy. I'll bet you he plays just like this even if no one is watching. It's just the way he reacts to the music and he can't help it. If you don't like his style, stop attacking him and listen to other pianists.

One of the few performances where I can fully process everything going on musically, most interpretations are a sprint

This little high school kid now becomes one of the best pianists in the world. It’s so happy to watch him play

is very clean! perfect execution and right TEMPO

this isactually better than many of his so-called 'mature' performances, where he has already made his name and is playing up to some celebrity audience. Here he is stil establishing himself so has to play it 'straight', as the composer intended. It's actually a breath of fresh air to see him interpret something properly.

I was named after this composition by Mily Balakirev.

Not the biggest Lang Lang fan, but this performance is the best Islamey I've heard besides Horowitz and Pogorelich. Lang Lang captures the absurdity of this piece perfectly, and his over the top style of playing actually fits well here. His playing here is also very clean technically, which is remarkable in a piece like this, especially for him being so young.

awesome, a real treat!

one of the very few non-trivial performances of a, in my opinion, very trivial piece

Beautifully played. I'm not usually a fan of Lang Lang's playing (not related to his exaggerated expressions which I don't think are a problem), but he managed to play this rather messy piece in a clean and clear manner. I can actually HEAR the phrasing and melodic lines, which are all drowned out in too much speed and/or pedalling in the other performances on KZfaq.

Wow! He is so young!

The reason Lang Lang plays so beautifully and ruffles a lot of conservative feathers is because he doesn't take himself seriously

A wonderful performance.

excellent performance!

Lang lang sempre langlangzando as musicas, genio, do seu jeito

Best ever.

I've listened to Pogorelich play this about 20 times. One greatness of this piece is there's no clear one-way to play it. It gives the performer a lot of freedom/opportunity to inject mojo. Most performers go too fast and fluff notes and muddy the whole thing. I appreciated that LangLang is aware of every note, but feel he's missing the deeper currents flowing thru the piece.

nobody in this world could play the last part as clear as langlang, end of the story

Cleanest performance I've ever heard. Everyone else seems to struggle with the technique. Lang Lang is 100% uninhibited.

I want the whole interview.

It warms my heart to see people attacking critics in this comment section.

He said that this will drive him nuts in a masterclass

It’s not a question of speed - or accuracy. Lisitsa plays it as if it’s a race (and inevitably hits some wrong notes) with no apparent care for the sounds she is creating (her throw-away ending says it all). It’s supposed to an ‘oriental fantasy’. Lang Lang is just too straight; in fact, straight-laced, especially in the all-important middle section (listen to Ginzburg here), though the end is undoubtedly exciting in purely pianistic terms. Yes, Berezovsky is impressive, but for speed, accuracy, excitement and oriental fantasy, listen to Horowitz (up to 5.35 anyway; after that, he goes right off the rails). You can see the whirling dervishes ...

看完江老師10分鐘換朗老師10分鐘😂

Thanks for checking out this bit of history.

@yiuwinghan17 it is not a song~ by the way, he plays it in standard way cuz he's just been well known at that time, it is too risky if he plays like berezovsky and playing faster means better playing? If someone can play it within 6minutes, then he plays it best in history among all virtoso pianists?

Crazy, just crazy

Thank you for the piece! I can't find Lang Lang played Liszt Fantasy on themes from Mozart's Don Giovanni. a Quote from PBS: Lang Lang and Live From Lincoln Center have an interesting history together. Some years ago we celebrated the opening of a Mostly Mozart season with a live telecast of that concert. Lang Lang, then at the beginning of his spectacular career, was scheduled to play the Mendelssohn First Piano Concerto, and a soprano was to sing some Mozart Concert and Opera Arias. Ten minutes before air time the soprano told us she was unable to sing. Crisis was averted when Lang Lang suggested that, if we wanted, he could fill the soprano's time with the Liszt Fantasy on Themes from Mozart's “Don Giovanni.” We wanted, he played, and proceeded to “bring down the house.” Afterwards my one word comment on the air was “Wow!”

I will be sweating if I ever finished playing this lol

Excellently played, much better than other versions on youtube

@monkeyBoner773 What made you think that? Lang lang did look a bit jolly at the part 5:20

What they didn't show is that after he played this his fingers were found to all be dislocated. One of them caught fire halfway through.

He really said long long😭

It can also be called “the oriental fantasy op 18”

Not that past and not that slow.... The exact tempo!

Lang Lang sounds like Ling Ling..... Wait...

Lang Lang is a great artist. Horowitz never made facial expressions because the "feeling comes out through his fingers" however Lang Lang has a much more extroverted personality.

Unparalleled pianist！

Finishes the piece. Stands up. Realises he isn't on stage. Awkwardly sits back down :)

His mother says it with an accent on the first word, come out sort of like LAWN lawn, very close together and short.

No fair! His fingers are double-jointed!

I actually prefer this piece at this pace. Just because it's less virtuosic doesn't make it less appealing. I like this interpretation as much as any on youtube. Berezovsky just sounds like he's in a hurry. Impressive nonetheless.

@seaking020492 You haven't heard Lisitsa play Islamey? : 3

Lang Lang' s fingers flutters like beautiful and colorful butterfly!

Eine der besten Interpretationen, die ich jemals gehört habe! Leidenschaftlich und voller Energie gespielt 🤩👏 Btw: funny moves 🤭

Now 39 ....less nervous but unfortunatly missing the slightest colour !

My thoughts exactly. I much prefer hers over Berozvsky's version.

Mm. Yes. Long long

Lung Lung

What for a wonderful pianist and a so bad music

IN MY OPINION EVGENY KISSIN IS THE BEST TO PLAY THIS PIECE .

Sounds solid, crisp, and 'sterilized' (put in a good way). This is like... Balakirev meets Nikolai Kapustin lol. Awesome.

The facial expressions were a deficient compared to LL after a few years

People in the comments here are seriously rooting for stilted, frenzied, and unintentionally dissonant performances for… what? A more deliberate and listenable version is two minutes too long for your ADHD?

hahahaha young lang lang....

should be slightly faster but yep it's good! so many dislikes tho

@monkeyBoner773 Gay also means happy, remember?

Wonderfull talanted Pianist!my student 13years old also try play Islamey Balakirev.Wellcome to our channel!Grace Lee 13years old play Islamey.

actually it is in China.

Get those ads out of my face, please.

Cziffra's and Gilels' versions ARE the best.

i just wrote the same comment...lol

Idil Biret!!!!!

Bang bang rides again

Лучше бы не брался........

only pros could play this ^^.. lang lang plays a bit slower than valentina lisitsa XD

Indeed , unfortunately....

Очень хорошо!!!!!хочется играть и жить!!!!!

pogorelich play that much more brilliant like no one before.

Laun Laun sounds more precise

郎朗手好大 彈琴剛剛好

ey

just look at valentina lisitsa do this..

Long long~

Piano lid is at the wrong angle. Amateurs.

This embodies the difference between playing something accurate and something well. Lang Lang's interpretation is note-accurate, but his performance is lacking in character and style. No amount of facial expressions or body motions will change the fact that he plays the piece flat. He has great technique, but he doesn't put any of his emotion into his playing ... it's frustrating to listen to and to see.

i like not this speed and mhsicalite....😕

Muy mal .....................................

just don't look at him and everything become perfect.

feels a bit slow...

"Long Long" is the pronunciation in Chinese

Pure comedy

lol "long long" is not the pronunciation! :D

The hand cross-overs during the end were all over the place. I'd say his was not as sloppy as most, but still not as clean as his reduced speed should have allowed. I agree that there's much more good to be seen in this performance than bad, but for me, the middle section (which is mostly slow), and especially the emotional climax at the end of it, was the most lacking. I like Lang Lang, but I'd like him to revisit this piece with a little less staccato and longer, fuller phrases.

i love Berezovsky more in this song. This piano sounds bad

Well I know other 18 year olds who can play this better than him.

This is way too slow, doesn't have any of the excitement of say Berezovsky's performance. Piano is pretty dire too.

lang lang is a good pianist with a god technique...but this has been played far better by other pianists.

he is good but Valentina Lisitsa plays a better interpretation of this song!

shit son, i played this crap faster than him. granted berezovsky is the one and true diety to this song. only Berezovsky does right to this song!

worst propiano playah evah

Although slow as hell (almost 9 minutes) as compared to Velentina Lisitsa's version (7 minutes) Lang Lang acted as if he is a gift from God. Shameless and ugliest piano showman ever. Of course I can't play it, not many people can play this piece. I am just saying why can't this guy realize he is nowhere near the top of the class and have some humility? It's repulsive to watch him perform.

ugly sound, interpretation

Sure he makes weird faces but imagine if you were him playing this piece... I am starting to lose faith in humanity